To the Sound of the Violin
by Your Candle on the Water
Summary: Modern AU: Mako and Korra are violinists who've been friends since they were children. Mako wants to ask Korra on a date after their concert, but a man she hasn't seen in years beat him to it.


Basically the result of an anonymous prompt on tumblr and my violin withdrawal. I had to give my baby away after I graduated high school.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.

* * *

"That's a C-natural. There are no sharps or flats in C-Major, Korra."

The violinist snarled at the comment, "I _know_ that, Mako."

The girl's stand partner huffed in indignation, annoyed at the violinist's childish behavior. He held his violin by its neck, hooking his bow with his index finger. They've been at rehearsal for the past hour and are currently on break, but Korra kept practicing the section they just went over.

Mako was the concertmaster of the town's youth orchestra, and his lifelong stand partner, Korra, was currently giving him the biggest headache he ever had. All the wrong notes she played grated his senses. Granted, it was the first rehearsal of the season and Korra was never a strong sight reader, but Mako, ever the perfectionist, demanded perfectly performed pieces on the spot.

The two violinists were actually good friends. When they were younger, they practically lived in the same house. Nobody can have one child without the other attached to the hip. Their friendship didn't always show on stage. Most of what comes out of Mako's mouth during rehearsal was how this note wasn't in tune or that section was too slow, and Korra got aggravated by it.

While the rest of the orchestra was moving around the room, Korra and Mako were sitting down, instruments in hand. Korra picked up her violin and played the section again. This time, she nailed the run and the 7th position spot on the E-string.

After finishing the section, Korra gave out a big whoop of satisfaction, stretching her arms out, violin in her left hand. In her excitement, the teen accidentally punched Mako's left shoulder with her empty hand.

"Oww!" the concertmaster exclaimed, grasping his shoulder with his bow hand.

Korra didn't apologize; instead, she gave him a big smile. Mako blushed.

The weekly rehearsals started to rush by and soon it was time for the orchestra's winter concert. In those months of rehearsals and extra time put in by the first stand of the string ensemble, Mako felt something different from friendship with his childhood friend.

Her smiles never ceased to make the boy's heart pound and face flush when they were directed at him. He felt a shock whenever the two of them reached towards their stand to grab the pencil, and somehow make contact with Korra's cool hands. Taking quick glances at his stand partner, a thought that frequented his brain was:

_Since when did she look so… so…_

_Beautiful?_

* * *

The morning of their dress rehearsal, Mako was a walking nerve. He was going to ask Korra out to dinner after the concert, and knowing Korra, the boy didn't know what to expect.

His hands were shaky and sweaty during the dress rehearsal. He made mistakes where he never did before, and even though they were almost unnoticeable imperfections, Mako couldn't help but chastise himself.

His stand partner noticed his nervous ticks, and as the orchestra packed up their instruments, Korra walked up to Mako and placed a hand on his shoulder. Mako turned to face the short girl, making her drop her hand to her side. She cocked her head to one side, a questioning look plastered on her face.

"What's going on, Mako? You were never nervous for these things," Korra inquired.

The boy in question sighed, "I know, Kor, it's just that… something kinda came up and-"

"What came up? Are you all right? Is something wrong?" Korra fired back in rapid succession, concerned.

"No, no, nothing's wrong. I'm just a little nervous about-"

"About the concert?" the girl interrupted.

"No, not the concert. I'm nervous about asking this girl I like on a date after the concert," Mako replied honestly.

"Oh," Korra, stated, trying to hide her disappointment, "Well, if you want to go out with her tonight, ask her already!"

Mako laughed at her reaction, "All right all right I will!"

Korra started walking away before Mako grabbed her free hand.

"Korra, do you want to go to dinner with me tonight after the concert?"

The girl in question gasped eyes wide with shock. She immediately let go of their connected hands and used both her hands to clutch the handle of her blue violin case. Finally, the boy she liked since she was eight was asking her out, but she couldn't accept.

"I," she started, "I-I-I would love to, Mako, but -"

"Hey Korra! Glad I caught you before you left!" Iroh, the pianist greeted, nodding to Mako.

Putting on a weak smile, Korra answered, "Oh, hey, Iroh!"

"I just wanted to remind you about our date tonight at Kuang's," said the pianist, oblivious to the male violinist's reaction, "I can drive you there if you'd like."

"That would be great, Iroh, thanks!" Korra replied with as much enthusiasm she could fake.

After the pianist left the two violinists alone in the auditorium, Mako lost it.

"You're going out with _Iroh_, Korra? Of _all the people_ to go out with, it had to be _him_?" Mako shouted.

"Hey, I've known this guy since he came to school with us and left ten years ago. The man I love only criticizes my playing and says little else, and it finally got to me. Iroh so I was upset so he offered to take me out tonight because _someone_ didn't make a move until it was too. Damn. Late." Korra defended, getting angrier by the second. She accented the last three words by poking the boy's chest.

She quickly pivoted on her heels and briskly walked towards the exit. Mako could hear her trying to muffle her sobbing, the pit in his chest growing bigger and bigger.

* * *

It was an hour before the concert, and neither Mako nor Korra spoke a word to each other. At the moment, their backs were facing each other; Mako was adding rosin to his bow while Korra tuned her violin. Both were in their concert attire, with all men in tuxedos and all women in black off shoulder dresses.

After placing her perfectly tuned instrument in its case, Korra looked over her shoulder to her stand partner. Mako's violin was laid carefully on the table, and he seemed to be fiddling over his tie. Ever since she learned, Korra always tied it for him.

She placed a hand on his back to get his attention. Turning him around so they were facing each other, Korra took the poorly knotted tie off Mako's neck.

"Let me help you with that," she whispered.

Mako didn't struggle, despite wanting to run away from her. Only the sound of musicians warming up engulfed the two for a few moments. He took that time to observe his friend. Her fingers expertly fixing the tie with the same precision she had when playing her violin. She had some light make up on, and her dark hair was placed in a decorated bun on the lower right side of her head. Was she always this beautiful?

"I'm sorry," Korra muttered.

Mako, realizing she was smoothing out his tie, grabbed her hands.

"I'm sorry too," he apologized.

"I shouldn't have yelled at you."

"Neither should I have yelled at you."

"Ready to kick ass tonight?" Korra jokingly asked.

Mako laughed quietly and squeezed their conjoined hands, "Ready as ever."

* * *

The concert ended beautifully. Never in her life did Korra witness such emotion in her stand partner's playing until tonight. In one piece he played so solemnly she almost started to cry. In another piece, he was swaying so energetically to the beat she couldn't help but join in or get nudged by the bow.

Never in her life did Korra ever feel like she played the music perfectly until tonight. That tricky section in 7th position was no hassle for her. She felt connected to the music, lived to feel the vibrations under her feet.

After the concert, the young violinist waded through the crowd, violin case clutched tightly in one hand and bag held in the other. She bade Mako a good night earlier, finding out that he'll be staying home for the night.

Iroh poked her shoulder. Smiling softly, he told her, "I cancelled the reservation at Kuang's."

Korra gasped, "But why? I thought we had a date."

Iroh answered, "I figured my date wouldn't be thinking about how great the food is. She'd be thinking about how she'd rather be with the concertmaster instead."

The violinist flushed, unsure of how to respond.

The pianist grabbed her shoulder.

"I know how you feel about Mako, and barging in your conversation that morning was to see if Mako felt the same way about you."

"And what's the verdict?" Korra asked.

Iroh smiled and gave the girl a quick hug, "Go get him."

Korra quickly returned the hug.

"Does your offer to drive me still stand?"

* * *

Iroh dropped Korra off at her house. She changed out of her dress and placed her violin gently on her bed. Korra then wrote a note for her parents and quickly ran across the street to Mako's house, almost slipping on a patch of ice. His parents went to work right after the concert, and Bolin was on a date, so he was alone.

She rang the doorbell.

Mako opened the door. He was wearing sweatpants and an undershirt. Surprised to see the girl he loved not on the date he wanted to do with her, Mako raised an eyebrow.

Korra took a deep breath before saying, "I love you."

For the longest time, Mako didn't do anything. Korra felt warm from embarrassment even though it was cold outside. He finally ushered her in the house and closed the door. He helped her take off her thin jacket and dropped the article of clothing on the floor.

Mako then proceeded to carry the girl before him and spin around, making Korra laugh wildly and grabbed onto his neck for dear life.

"I love you too."

The two were found sleeping on the couch pressed together. Empty mugs were left on the table in front of them. Korra slept near the edge of the couch, while Mako was pressed up behind her, his heartbeat pounding on her back. His arms were wrapped around the girl's waist, and their sock-covered feet peeked through the thick blanket they shared.

Mako's music player was still on. The two fell asleep to the warm sound of the violin.

* * *

Review please!


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